Written questions by Cartlidge.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, how many contracts have been signed as a result of the £450 million spent on Uncrewed Systems since 5 July 2024.

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement. The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further. The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, what percentage of the £450 million on Uncrewed Systems was spent with British companies.

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement. The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further. The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, what quantity of drones have been procured as part of the £450 million on Uncrewed Systems, broken down by (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) FPV and (d) long-range one-way attack.

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement. The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further. The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 September to Question 69422, whether it remains his plan to publish the Defence Investment Plan before the rise of the House on 18 December 2025.

We are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the Defence Investment Plan. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will appreciate the scale of the decisions that we need to make including on AJAX. He will also appreciate the scale of the problems that we face, including those to do with a programme of the last Government’s that over-committed, and was underfunded and unsuited to meeting the threats that we will face in the future.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that sufficient funding for flood prevention is distributed evenly.

As part of the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit more than 890,000 properties. The Government recently announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy, making it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding rules. To secure maximum value for every pound of taxpayer funding, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios. Contributions from other sources will boost a project’s prioritisation. This approach uses government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources. A minimum of 20% of FCERM investment will go to the 20% most deprived communities and a minimum of 40% to the 40% most deprived communities, ensuring deprived communities receive vital investment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the use of cages and other confinement systems for farmed animals.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 47556.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to boost flood defences in South Suffolk constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) is actively managing flood risk in South Suffolk through routine maintenance, strategic projects and provision of warnings and advice. Since April 2025, over 2,200 hours and a budget of £15,440 have been spent operating and maintaining flood risk assets such as sluices, together with targeted watercourse and vegetation management. £50,000 additional investment will take place at Long Melford and Glemsford to reduce flood risk to vulnerable properties by enhancing upstream floodplains, while also improving wetland habitats for long-term environmental benefits. Over the next five years, Suffolk County Council will implement the Sudbury Surface Water Flood Alleviation Scheme - protecting up to 21 more homes, and the EA will provide property flood resilience to many more homes across the area. EA maintenance will continue, wherever possible. as will provision of a flood warning service for residents, and advice to planning authorities to ensure new developments remain safe from flooding.

Whether his Department plans to reintroduce improving dementia diagnosis times into NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus.We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis, and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring people can access any licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended treatment and/or support they need.We will deliver the first ever modern service framework for frailty and dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

What steps he is taking to introduce Lecanemab through the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund NICE-recommended medicines, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating the disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s, lecanemab, but has been unable to recommend it in final draft guidance. NICE concluded that the relatively small benefits this medicine provides, balanced against the potential for serious side effects and the overall cost of providing it, means that it cannot currently be considered good value for the taxpayer. NICE has received one appeal against its draft recommendations for lecanemab and the appeal is due to be heard by NICE’s independent appeal panel in January 2026. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and based on an assessment of the available evidence on the relative costs and benefits of a treatment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure food and drink sold in the UK is labelled according to RSPCA standards.

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The RSPCA Assured scheme is an animal welfare assurance initiative which sets standards which go beyond the UK’s legal baseline. It is independent from Government. While food businesses can choose whether to adopt RSPCA Assured standards and apply this label to their products, an underpinning rule of existing legislation is that food information, whether it be mandatory or is provided voluntarily, must not mislead.

What steps she is taking to provide advice and support for headteachers to transition to a smartphone free school.

Mobile phones have no place in schools. The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.Alongside the guidance, the department has published a series of case studies showcasing good practice to support schools in prohibiting the use of mobile phones.Schools also have access to a toolkit on communicating their policy with parents. This provides practical guidance to help schools gain parental support for their mobile phone policies. Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce technological standards on the use of AI.

The use of AI varies by sector, and sector specific standards are starting to take shape, for example self-driving cars will now be in the UK from next year thanks to new standards from DFT.The Government supports the development and adoption of technical AI standards through international processes such as the ISO and IEC, driven by an inclusive multistakeholder community, in a way that can provide practical guidance for organisations deploying AI, reduce barriers to innovation and help unlock the opportunities AI offers.At the same time, some AI systems are more general-purpose. For these AI systems, we have built a strong AI group in DSIT, including the world-class AI Security Institute that tests frontier AI models before release.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the safety of children online in South Suffolk constituency.

The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children in the UK, including South Suffolk, from illegal and harmful content online.Services regulated by the Act are required to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from encountering the most harmful content including pornography, and put in place age-appropriate protections from other harmful content, including violence and bullying. These protections have been in force since July 2025. We continue to monitor the Act’s effectiveness and will not hesitate to take further action to protect children online if evidence shows this is necessary.

What measure will the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme use to assess the effectiveness of the Department in implementing actions of previous reviews.

The Ministerial Review has already begun. The review will be supported by an expert challenge panel including the Secretary of State's Strategic Advisor Malcolm Chalmers, and military personnel. I have committed to report progress on the Ajax investigation via a written statement before Christmas recess begins.

If he will list the previous reviews that will be assessed in the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme.

The Ministerial Review has already begun. The review will be supported by an expert challenge panel including the Secretary of State's Strategic Advisor Malcolm Chalmers, and military personnel. I have committed to report progress on the Ajax investigation via a written statement before Christmas recess begins.

In which financial year will UK NATO declared defence spending will rise above 2.6 per cent of GDP.

The UK's defence spending is expected to rise to 2.6% from 2027. The next Spending Review in 2027 will determine the trajectory beyond the current Spending Review period.

Whether the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme will report to Parliament in the form of an (a) oral or (b) written statement.

The Ministerial Review has already begun. The review will be supported by an expert challenge panel including the Secretary of State's Strategic Advisor Malcolm Chalmers, and military personnel. I have committed to report progress on the Ajax investigation via a written statement before Christmas recess begins.

If he will provide a full list of the experts conducting the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme.

The Ministerial Review has already begun. The review will be supported by an expert challenge panel including the Secretary of State's Strategic Advisor Malcolm Chalmers, and military personnel. I have committed to report progress on the Ajax investigation via a written statement before Christmas recess begins.

What percentage of GDP will be spent on the MOD budget in the financial year that NATO declared defence spending will increase to 3 per cent of GDP.

We are set to spend 2.6 percent of GDP on defence spending in 2027, with an ambition to spend 3 percent of GDP on defence next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions allow.

Whether the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme will be used to guide any future decisions regarding the Ajax programme.

The Ministerial Review has already begun. The review will be supported by an expert challenge panel including the Secretary of State's Strategic Advisor Malcolm Chalmers, and military personnel. I have committed to report progress on the Ajax investigation via a written statement before Christmas recess begins.